Chen Zhe cupped his hands again, "Farewell."
Shen Ye leaned against a table, squinting as he watched the departing figures of Chen Zhe and Second Manager Ye: "Brother Ji, the person rushing to spend a fortune to buy these salt permits must be someone who wants to destroy you."
Chen Ji stood by the threshold without a word.
Brother Pao on the side took out a pipe, slowly filling it with tobacco. Chen Ji turned back to Brother Pao and said, "Pack the salt permits, the silver from selling those permits, and the salt shop's account books onto a cart and send them to the Chen family. They'll be needed tomorrow. I'm leaving."
Brother Pao responded with, "Rest assured," then held the pipe bowl to the candle flame, inhaling deeply a few times before blowing out a wisp of blue smoke.
Through the swirling smoke, the figure of Chen Ji seemed a bit blurry, as if slowly converging with the Chen Ji in his memory.
...
...
